Written by Miguel Luís

Millions of eyes, one tent. Inside, tons of papers on tables; judges and lawyers in black robes that hide their carefully chosen suits; two red bands, one for each, over the black robes that the prosecutors wear; in the rectangular vacuum that lies between the tables a dozen people wearing orange uniforms; several electric cables, cameras and microphones. Millions of eyes, one tent. 

Outside the tent, the country, as always, gets warmer than the inside of a pot sitting on a couple of firewood. Millions of eyes, one tent. Once again we are playing make-believe, and so the country moves forward. Millions of eyes, one tent, and yet another citizen is shoved into a car against his will. Honestly, a doctor kidnapped in Maputo.

Millions of eyes, one tent.

            The sky is gray on this Sunday afternoon when my eyes flicker. Little light in Lisbon and my dry little eyes burning like a wound taking an alcohol bath. Honestly, little light in the city, but my eyes open and the airplanes parading in the sky always remind me of the way to Mozambique. No matter how far away it is, you never forget the way home. We are far from home, but the country always climbing the stairs of memory. No matter how far away you are, you can never ignore what happens at home.  

A lot of violence and bloodshed in Mozambique in a short period of time: 10 years of war for independence, 16 years of horrendous war in the years following independence, so many years of the so-called political-military conflict that only changes faces but continues to spread horror, and now Cabo Delgado. In between, as if this were not enough, there is a criminal industry that, in the unmoved eyes of the authorities, kidnaps and murders citizens in broad daylight. This time a doctor, and the music remains the same as it was approximately five years ago when this industry began operating in the country:

 we are investigating. 

            Recently the state has proven to us that when it wants to do something it does it. After approximately four years of much terror in Cabo Delgado, the state took on the seriousness of the conflict, allied with international forces, and is managing to restore peace; after approximately three years of Mariano Nhongo terrorizing the center of the country, he was given an ultimatum, and five days later the man was killed. When does the state intend to look at the problem of kidnappings and murders? When does the state intend to restore the security of its citizens and everyone living in Mozambique?

A lot of violence and bloodshed in Mozambique in a short period of time...

A state that does nothing to restore the security of its citizens risks having its authority hijacked and replaced by barbarism and violence imposed by criminals while it wipes the slate clean to play the same old tune again

we are investigating.

 I'm glad that the eye drops help my eyes to resist so that we can look at this paper and not let our silence be the greenhouse where the fear and indifference of a country that deserves to bury violence in the farthest graves of its collective and individual memory grows. 

            The sky very gray on this Sunday afternoon when the eyes flicker. No matter how far away it is, one never forgets the way home. We are far from home, but the country is always climbing the stairs of memory. No matter how far away you are, you can never ignore what happens at home, and I swear on my word of honor, we've been playing make-believe. A kidnapped doctor. Millions of eyes, one tent.